Practice wisdom in social work: an uncommon sense in the intersubjective encounter

ABSTRACT

Social work is not, and should not be, a practice of common sense. The author revisited a vast array of literature on practice wisdom in social work and parallel conceptions in cognate disciplines. For better or worse, the idea of practice wisdom has been revitalized in standing against the deprofessionalization of social work. However, its ambiguity in meaning has somehow overridden its reputation. Practice wisdom is intuitive, tacit, and spontaneous in nature. It is an embodied phronesis of experienced practitioners. The author argues that practice wisdom in social work is not only the wisdom of analytical experience, but it is also the wisdom or a quality characterized by courtesy, kindness, consideration, compassion, and benevolence. It is uniquely uncommonsensical and has to be cultivated through the intersubjective encounter between the practitioner and service user.

摘要

社會工作作為一門專業，不應被理解為只管依賴普通常理及直覺便能執行。然而，當面對被「去專業化」的威脅，提出涵義模糊的實務智慧概念為社會工作護航，結果往往弄巧成拙。本文檢視了社會工作及相類學科當中有關實務智慧的文獻，指出實務智慧具有直觀、隱性及自發的特質，需要通過富經驗之社會工作者的自身去體現。筆者認為，社會工作的實務智慧不僅是透過經驗分析而得到的學問，它同時也具備禮義、良善、體恤、惻隱和仁愛品質。因此，社會工作的實務智慧是獨特而非凡的，而且必須於社會工作者與服務對象「互為他者」的過程當中陶鑄出來。

KEYWORDS:

• Practice wisdom
• practical wisdom
• phronesis
• intuition
• intersubjectivity
• art

關鍵詞:

• 實務智慧
• 實踐智慧
• 直覺
• 相互主體性
• 藝術

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Johnson Chun-Sing Cheung, BSW, MSocSc, RSW, is a social worker and a doctoral candidate. He has been involved in the children, youth, and community social work for 13 years. This article represents a portion of a dissertation submitted by the author to The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in partial fulfilment of the requirement for a Degree of Doctor of Social Work. His research focuses on relationship-based practice, youth work, and practice wisdom.

ORCID

Johnson Chun-Sing Cheung http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7837-282X